One Word
by BabyBrown
Summary: 30 word drabble challenge
1. Sleep

Alright, here's the thing - I've got writer's block. So I've decided to finally try one of those 30 day writing challenges to get the juices flowing again. Each drabble will vary in length but I'm gonna try and keep them around 100-250 words.

I'm not really using any specific list of words. It's more like I'm randomly pointing at a word in the nearest book. So if you have a specific word/request, send it my way!

Enjoy!

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**01. Sleep**

* * *

"Why are you here? Don't you have a boyfriend?" He says, ignoring the jealousy he feels thinking about _his_ hands on her.

Blood red lips purse together in amusement. "He's not really a boyfriend. More like a complicated booty call. Besides, what's the big deal? It's not like I'm interrupting anything." There's annoyance in her voice, like he's the one who showed up at her door in the middle of the night.

"Good night Gail." He moves to close the door in her face but meets resistance. Looking down, he notices the heavy boot keeping the door open. His gaze moves upwards and he notices she's still in her uniform. Not a good sign considering she's been off duty for six hours.

He folds his arms and leans against the doorjamb. "What are you doing here Gail? The truth this time."

"It's just, I couldn't sleep." Her voice is small and it makes him uncomfortable. "And when I thought about the last time I could sleep, it was here. With you."

Luke rubs his eyes, feeling more tired than he's felt in a long time. The "last time" was when Nick finally returned from what turned out to be a sixth month undercover job and Gail decided Luke was the person to be angry with. (_That night definitely turned out differently than it began.)_

Warning bells are ringing in his head and he's wondering if this is going to become a pattern. He steps back anyway, opening his door to her one more time.


	2. Unexpected

This one takes place after Nick and Gail's bar conversation in 3x01 (or was it 3x02?)

* * *

**02. Unexpected**

* * *

"What an asshole!" Gail slams her apartment door with a loud bang. It feels good to finally let out her frustration. Stupid exes and their stupid way of getting in everyone's stupid good graces.

"Who's an asshole?" A voice calls out to her left.

Startled by the person now exiting her bathroom, Gail drops her keys and brings a hand up to her chest, her heart thumping wildly against her ribs.

"You are. Not to mention a creepy pervert for hanging around my apartment when I'm not home. How did you even get in here?"

Luke rolls his eyes and bends down to retrieve her fallen keys, placing them back into her hand. "I'm a teenage delinquent-turned-detective. You think I don't know how to pick a lock?"

He moves into the living room and sits heavily on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. The ease and familiarity in which he does this weirds her out.

Shedding her jacket and shoes by the door, she joins him on the couch. Noticing his attire: dark blue jeans, combat boots and a plain white t-shirt, she knows he's still undercover. Not for the first time does she wonder if he's trying to get back at Andy for her little undercover tryst with Sam by doing the same thing with her.

But since she's been getting laid on a regular basis, Gail doesn't really care.


	3. Organic

**03. Organic**

* * *

"You know that's a load of bullshit right?"

Luke raises an eyebrow, half expecting Gail to be addressing someone else. He resists the urge to look behind him. Gail snatches the red apple from his hand and peels off the bright yellow organic sticker.

"Organic is such a scam. You're paying through the nose for something you're not even sure is true." To his surprise she takes a huge bite, juice dribbling down her chin.

He frowns at her. "You just said..."

"I'm doing you a favor. It could be filled with all sorts of dangerous chemicals. Maybe even hormones. You should really be thanking me." Gail drags a hand across her chin to clean off the juice.

The smirk on her face tells him she's the one full of bullshit.


	4. Repetition

**04. Repetition**

* * *

"Gail, how many times are you going to watch this movie?" Luke plops down on the couch next to her. Gail, already halfway through the popcorn he made only two minutes ago, keeps her eyes glued to the screen.

"As many times as it takes."

Luke reaches for the bowl but is slapped away by Gail. He frowns at her while rubbing his hand. "As many times as it takes for what?"

"I'm waiting for when hot guys driving fast cars don't turn me on." Luke rolls his eyes and sinks deeper into the cushions. Gail spares him an annoyed glance. "Chill out dude. Be glad it's this and not _Sons of Anarchy_. I've still got a whole season left to watch and we know you don't have the stamina for a marathon." Gail says around a mouthful of popcorn.


	5. Pizza

This one takes place between season two and three. (So the new rookie referred to here is not Nick.)

* * *

**05. Pizza**

* * *

"Yo Callaghan! The new rookie is getting lunch, you want?" Jerry looks up from his cellphone and sees Gail with her feet propped up on Luke's desk, a case file in her hand and a lollipop in her mouth.

It certainly isn't the first time Jerry has walked in on some variation of this.

Their out-of-nowhere friendship was increasingly becoming a topic of water cooler gossip. It was weird the first time Callaghan showed up with Peck at the Penny and since then their friendship just seemed to be getting stronger. Despite having different shifts, they were sometimes seen eating some meal (his breakfast, her dinner or the other way around) in the pathetically small room designated as a cafeteria. Or sometimes there would be the sound of Peck's laughter coming from Luke's office at random moments during the day. This was all in addition to the routine drinks they had at the bar every Friday night.

Jerry approved of this friendship. It seemed like Gail was the only person who could distract Callaghan from his tendency to overwork. She also seemed to be the only person to make Luke laugh these days. Jerry had enjoyed not walking on eggshells when around the other detective. He had become increasingly worried that this new Luke was going to disappear once Sam and Andy were in his orbit again.

Reminding Jerry of his location, Gail tilts her head back and asks "Where's the food coming from?"

"Señor Chang."

"Ew." She says, scrunching her nose in disgust. "That place is nasty."

"Luke?"

Luke points at Gail with the tip of his pen. "I agree with Peck. Last time I ate from there I was stuck in the bathroom for a day. It was not pretty."

Gail giggles at Luke's response_ - actually giggles_ - making Jerry think he had stepped into an alternate universe.

"Too much information Homicide." Luke rolls his eyes but Jerry can see the small satisfied smile on his face.

"So that's a no?" Jerry clarifies, suddenly feeling like a third wheel.

Luke closes the file he was reading and stands up. Reattaching his badge and gun to his belt, Luke puts his jacket on.

"No. I'm gonna go get some pizza."

"That sounds great. Bring me back a slice." Gail comments, her eyes glued back to the papers in her hands.

Walking around his desk, Luke boldly pushes her feet off of it with his hand. Jerry would have laughed at the surprised look on her face if he wasn't feeling so weirded out. Gail was not the warmest person in the world yet she had allowed Luke to playfully touch her and live.

"The only way you're getting pizza is if you get it yourself." Luke says before walking out of his office. With a dramatic sigh, Gail stands from her seat and follows him, nodding a goodbye to Jerry.

"If you wanted my company, all you had to do was ask."

Jerry smiles to himself as Gail's comment trails behind the departing pair.


	6. Jealousy

Ok, I had a lot of fun with this one ;)

* * *

**06. Jealousy**

* * *

"Suspect was last seen earlier this morning wearing blue jeans, a black hoodie and a sports cap."

"What team?" Oliver interrupts.

"What?"

Oliver waves a hand above his head. "His hat, what team logo is on it?"

"Yankees" Luke answers, an annoyed tone coloring his voice.

"Not a hockey fan? What kind of Canadian is he?" Oliver scoffs.

"A law breaking one." Luke responds.

"What's he wanted for?" Chris asks from the back.

Thankful to get back on topic, Luke turns to Chris. "Annie Jacobs and her boyfriend Brian Kerry were found murdered two weeks ago in a parking lot. The murder weapon was found covered with our guy's fingerprints. We believe him to be the victim's ex-boyfriend."

The somber mood is broken by the sound of hushed laughter in the back of the room. Luke eye's sharply snap to the last table by the door. Sitting extremely close to Gail is the new rookie, George. Tall and gangly, with red hair and freckles, he was transferred here just until Andy and Nick return from undercover.

"Is there something the two of you would like to share with the rest of us?"

George immediately pales. "No sir."

Gail shakes her head, holding her hand over her mouth in an attempt to control herself. "No sir."

The words are the same but there is something in her eyes that tells Luke she knows exactly what she is doing.

Luke glares at her for a few more seconds before returning his attention to the rest of the room.

"I don't care how small or insignificant the tip, you hear anything you let me know." He then moves aside to give Frank the floor.

* * *

At the end of Parade, everyone call hear Luke's voice boom from the hallway.

"Officer Peck, my office."

"Somebody's in trouble." Dov teases in a singing voice.

"Shut it Epstein." Gail bites back before walking off with a scowl on her face.

Gail enters the room and finds Luke standing in front of his desk with his back to her, a file in his hand.

"Close the door" he says over his shoulder.

Gail shuts the door with a forceful shove and prepares herself for his boring speech about proper Parade behavior.

But the next thing she knows, Luke is grabbing her and pressing her hard against the door. His lips descending onto hers in a rush.

Momentarily shocked, Gail recovers quickly and immediately responds to his hungry lips currently devouring hers. She sighs contentedly against his mouth as his long arms wrap around her waist and he pulls her flush against his body. Luke sinks into her, his back hunching over. She knows his back is probably aching from their position so she stands on the tips of her toes, trying to make up for their large difference in height. Gail feels his left hand roam down her back, momentarily pausing on her ass to give it a light squeeze. His hand moves back up to her waist and he slides her up the wall, his right knee burying between her legs to keep her in place.

A jolt rushes through her as her weight settles down onto his thigh. Knowing how much it drove her crazy, Luke lifts his leg a bit higher, increasing the pressure between their bodies. Gail bites her lower lip and involuntarily squirms against the friction he's providing. Luke presses feather light kisses against her neck as she plays with the hair at the nape of his neck.

The sound of their panting fills the empty room as they stop moving. No matter how much they want to continue heading in their current direction, they are still aware of their surroundings. Luke removes his lips from hers and pulls back to see her face, her cheeks abnormally flushed.

"So what was so funny during Parade?"

Gail smirked and casually wraps her arms around his neck. "Aw, were you jealous?"

When he kisses her harder, she knows his answer.


	7. Drapes

I want to thank everyone who's read and reviewed! It means a lot to me! 3

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**07. Drapes**

* * *

Walking behind the blonde officer, in the drugstore of all places, Luke looks at the object in her hands and does a double take. After stepping closer in order to get a better look, a loud laugh bursts from behind his lips. "Is that what I think it is?"

Gail quickly tries to hide the incriminating object but it's too late. He's already seen it. Her heart starts racing and she can feel beads of sweat start to form at her temple. She hates how embarrassed she is getting over this small thing. It's ridiculous really.

"What? No. It's nothing." Her denial is half-assed while she tries to stuff "_nothing_" into her shopping cart, but she's not fast enough.

Luke quickly snatches the box of hair dye from her grip and holds it high up, getting a better look at the label.

Gail reaches over his shoulders to grab the item of future blackmail, violating Rule #1 of Not-Friends with Benefits_ (No touching in public unless choking or dying…and even then only as a last resort) _in the process. She stands on her tiptoes to get more altitude, cursing how freakishly tall he is.

"Now I know why you got rid of the carpet. It wouldn't have matched the drapes." He says salaciously. Gail doesn't know whether to be pissed or completely turned on by it. Inappropriate comments from the golden boy detective always had that effect on her.

"Give it to me" she demands, her entire body practically flush against his back. Luke extends his arms away from her, unintentionally leaning forward, bringing Gail along as she follows his body's movement with hers. The odd looks they are getting from people passing by tells them what they both already knew. They are acting like complete children and not like the public officials they supposedly are.

"Gail," his own breath coming out in short puffs. "We - are - in - public." He finally gets out. People tend to underestimate how strong Gail actually is despite her size.

Ignoring him, she then starts wriggling up his back in an attempt to reach his hands. That was when he realized just how close she was. The mounds of her breasts pressed flat against his back, the quick and hot puffs of her breath against his ear. His jeans suddenly feel too tight.


	8. Guilt

This one takes place after the season 2 finale.

* * *

**08. Guilt**

* * *

The last place he wants to be is at the Penny.

He doesn't want to see the looks of pity that are guaranteed to be on Jerry's face. He doesn't want to see Andy fussing over Swarek. He hasn't seen Sam after his return to the station but he has read the report. Luke knows the injuries he sustained after being tortured, and tries to ignore the feeling of satisfaction it gives him.

Yet despite his reluctance, Luke can't explain why he suddenly finds himself entering the bar, relieved when he notices his ex-fiance and her ex-training officer are absent from the festivities held in the latter's honor. His mind shies away from the idea that their absence has something to do with a private celebration of their own.

Looking around the bar again, he notices everyone else is absent as well.

Everyone except Peck.

"This seat taken?" He says, pointing to the empty stool next to her. He tells himself it isn't because he feels bad or because he thinks she looks lonely drinking by herself. It also definitely isn't because he's feeling strangely guilty about sort of standing her up.

"Whatever." Gail says, knocking back a shot of something.

Luke sits and orders himself a beer. He clears his throat. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. Something came up with a case last minute."

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Excuse me?"

"You asked for a ride?"

Gail shrugs, turning away from him. "Well obviously I didn't need it. I'm here aren't I?"

Luke begins to peel the label off his bottle at the awkward silence that follows.

"So where's everyone? I thought there was some sort of celebration happening tonight." He doesn't know why he's forcing a conversation with her.

"There was…an hour ago. When Swarek didn't show everyone decided to go home." She answers, continuing not to look at him. He tries not to let it bother him.

"Oh" he says lamely. He orders another beer and she orders another shot of tequila.

"So by everyone-"

"-did I mean Andy?" she finishes for him.

"I just want to know how she's doing. I heard about the suspension."

Gail laughs at him. He hates how much it throws him off.

"What?" Luke demands. Gail looks him in the eyes and the feelings of unease continue.

"Dude, you so picked the wrong girl for gossip."

"I wasn't asking for gossip."

Gail rolls her eyes at him. "Yeah, okay. Don't pretend like you're not the least bit jealous that Andy is probably playing cops and robbers with Sam right now."

"Were you always this bitchy?" he says hotly, not recognizing the voice coming out of his mouth.

Gail purses her lips, "Gee, thanks. You really know how to make a girl feel special. No wonder Andy dumped your ass."

She lets out a sardonic chuckle. "Oh wait, I remember. She dumped you because you couldn't keep Callaghan Jr. in your pants."

* * *

**Send me prompts!**


	9. Beard

**09. Beard**

* * *

"Knock, knock."

Luke looks up from his desk and sees Gail standing in his doorway.

"Peck." The name falls from his mouth with ease.

"Did you miss me?" With her right hip jut out to the side and a smirk on her face, he had forgotten how much attitude she exuded with just her body language.

"Not really." He replies, trying and failing to keep the smile off his face.

Feigning a look of hurt, Gail clutches a hand to her chest. "Ouch. Anyone tell you you have a way with the ladies?"

Luke merely shrugs, still unable to stop smiling. His only consolation is that Gail seems to be having the same problem; the smirk on her face quickly converting into a genuine smile.

As she walks further into his office, a startling feeling washes over him.

He _had_ missed her.

Without realizing it, there was a longing that had crept into his bones during his absence. One that is slowly dissipating with every increasing second spent in her company. His entire body is humming with excitement.

"So you go undercover for a couple weeks and you decide to go all caveman on me?" A laugh escapes him. Of course teasing him would be the first thing she would do.

"It's called a beard Peck." Luke grumbles, his left hand coming up to rub his chin self-consciously.

Gail snorts and walks right around his desk. "No, seriously. It looks like something died on your face."


	10. Avoidance

**10. Avoidance**

* * *

A small moan vibrates in her throat in response to the lips gently passing over the skin around her belly button.

Tilting her head downward, a blonde head comes into view hovering over her midsection.

Despite all the fighting and sarcasm, there's a sort of calmness she felt when she was with him. There were no feelings of inadequacy like she sometimes felt with Chris. The feeling that she was never gonna be enough for such a good guy like him. There was no guilt over coming between two best friends and then anger when they decided to get back together, leaving her out in the cold.

With Luke it felt like she can finally breathe. She can finally be herself. When she pushes him, he pushes back. He doesn't run from their fights - he fights back. She never fells like she needs to hold back.

And it terrifies the hell out of her.

"I thinking about getting a pet. Maybe a fish" she blurts out, attempting to distract herself from the thoughts running through her mind.

* * *

Realizing that she's talking, Luke looks up at her. The random comment frustrates him. He can never understand how calm and collected she is after they have sex. He was literally inside of her thirty seconds ago and she's now talking about some stupid fish.

"No offense but you don't seem like a pet person" he quips.

"That's why I'd get a fish. Practically no work involved."

"Then why get a pet in the first place?"

She shrugs and looks up at the ceiling.

He can't hold it in any longer. "What are we doing Gail?"

The words are fresh out of his mouth when she shoots up from her place beside him. Completely naked, she walks out of the room not even bothering to cover up.

This isn't the first time she's walked out on him. It also isn't the first time he's asked that question.

Letting out a groan of frustration, Luke retrieves his boxers from floor and pulls them on.

He's barely in the kitchen before Gail is already on the defensive.

"Homicide-"

"I have a name you know" he bites out before she can finish.

"Fine, _Luke_." She rolls her eyes. "Don't turn this into something it's not."


	11. Shaving

**11. Shaving**

* * *

"Stop moving." Gail's fingers are firmly gripping his chin.

"Easier said than done." Luke tries to focus on the fact that she's straddling him right now, but the thought of Gail holding a sharp instrument against his face is not easily forgotten.

"Quit it or else this bathroom is going to turn into a crime scene."

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this." Luke mumbles, involuntarily wincing against the cold metal against his cheek.

Stopping all movement, she glares down at him. "Hey, you're not the one getting a rash on your face. So if you want me to _let you_ keep doing things to me, the beard has got to go."

* * *

Sorry I haven't updated lately. School has been a bitch and I haven't had time to write much.


	12. Crying

Ok, so this one follows my other drabble _I Make the Boys Fall like Dominoes. _You should probably read that if you want to get what's going on here.

* * *

**12. Crying**

* * *

"So who was that?" Nick asks, both of them looking at the lone figure walking away.

"No one." Gail answers, shrugging his hand off her shoulder. He looks disappointed by it but doesn't say anything.

"Then why are you crying?

Shit, she hadn't even realized she had been crying. Gail quickly wipes her face. "Allergies."

"Gail."

"What are you my mother? Drop it." She glares at him, giving him her patented _Gail Glare _that gives all the boys a scare.

"Gail, we've known each other for a long time. Ever since we were kids, running around like little assholes terrorizing everyone. I know when you're lying. To me and to yourself." She wants to smack the look of understanding on his face. Like she's a puzzle he's figured out.

"That's true. We have known each other for a long time. Only thing is I'm not that girl anymore. You have no idea who I am now. You lost that privilege when you dumped me." She exhales loudly. "I knew this was a mistake. Go home Nick."

Gail walks away, refusing to look back or respond to his calls.


	13. Apologize

**13. Apologize**

* * *

Slamming the bathroom door behind her, she immediately hears her neighbor bang on the wall between them. It isn't the best living situation: paper thin walls, hallway carpet that smells like feet, and neighbors who'd no doubt jump her if they knew she was a cop, but it was all she could afford on such short notice.

Tossing some cool water onto her face, Gail stares at her reflection. She hates this, all these different emotions swirling inside her, making her want to claw her skin off. Why does he have to push so hard? After Nick, Chris and then Nick_ again,_ Gail can't handle opening herself to someone else. She doesn't think her heart can take it.

A soft knock on the door brings Gail out of her head.

"Can't you take a hint? Go home Luke." She yells out, not wanting to deal with him tonight.

There's another knock on the door.

Putting her game face on, Gail takes a deep breath and opens her bathroom door.

Luke is leaning against the door frame, an apologetic look on his face. She did not expect him to be so close and the scent of him drives her nuts.

"I'm sorry." He says in a low voice. Gail doesn't know why, but seeing him like this turns her on. Nice guy puppy dog eyes - it's got to be a fetish of hers.

"Whatever. Just go." She says, turning around to reenter the bathroom. A ragged breath escapes her. It sounds pathetic and weak and she hates how _Luke Callaghan_ of all people has her feeling all kinds of terrible tonight. She expects him to leave like he always does when things get too heavy; it's not like she isn't guilty of doing the same.

The door shuts behind her and her shoulders sag a tiny bit. Just this once, she wishes she wasn't so stubborn. Deep down she knows he's trying to understand her. Knows that he's a good guy with good intentions, but her walls are too strong, too reinforced to be easily torn down.

A pair of hands on her shoulders startle her. Guess she didn't push him away hard enough.

A small part of her, a part that is slowly getting larger, is glad.


	14. Doghouse

**This takes place after the Chris breaks up with Gail in season 2.**

* * *

**14. Doghouse**

* * *

"So what did you do to Diaz that's got him putting you in the doghouse?" If looks could kill he'd be six feet under right now.

"I didn't do anything and I'm not in the doghouse."

"That's not what it looked like to me."

"Well I really don't care what you think." Her reply comes out sharp and clipped.

"Must have been bad if he broke up with you in the middle of the station."

"First of all, my relationship is none of your business. Second of all, shut the hell up."

"I'm pretty sure you can't talk to me like that Peck."

"Does it look like I care? Do me a favor Homicide, and go home."


	15. Gunshot

**15. Gunshot**

* * *

"Shots fired." Oliver's voice sounds over the radio on her shoulder.

Gail looks to her right at her partner. Sam's face is white as a sheet at those two small words. His jaw immediately clenches and she knows it's to keep himself from yelling into his own radio.

"Suspect is heading south towards Greene Street. He's armed and has an extremely violent history. Do not engage without backup. I repeat, the suspect is highly dangerous. Do not engage without backup."

She can tell by the tone of Oliver's voice that none of the shots fired did any damage. He sounds extremely tense but not overly upset. There's also no mention of need for an ambulance.

Meaning there would be no trips to the hospital today.

Gail sneaks a glance at her partner. The relief on Sam's face is immediate knowing Andy is safe.

Ever since getting married six months ago, Sam and Andy were no longer allowed to ride together. Sam made a huge stink about it until Andy talked him down. Gail knew Andy didn't like the situation either but they had already pushed the rules as far as they could go. Frank told them it was one thing for them to be partners and dating, but it was a completely different thing to being partners _and married_. The entire situation made for a damn grumpy senior officer.

Gail didn't mind Sam's crabby attitude like everyone else did, which meant she got partnered up with him more times than not. To be honest, she actually preferred being Sam's partner. He would occasionally let her drive and he never needed to fill the long hours of silence with talk. There was nothing she hated more than small talk, especially in a small enclosed space.

"Greene Street. That means he's coming right towards us" Gail tells Sam.

Sam nods and reaches for the radio. "This is car 1570. Suspect is headed our way. We're on it."

Both coppers look at each other for a moment before getting out of the car. Unholstering her gun, Gail can feel her pulse start to quicken, adrenaline starting to race through her body. This part of the job was always a rush for her. Sometimes she even thinks it's better than sex. Her mind turns to the night before and despite the current situation, she smiles to herself, another emotion coursing through her veins.

No, nothing is better than sex.

It's in that moment that she hears footsteps coming from the alley behind her. They are the footsteps of someone running...fast.

Spinning around, she catches sight of a tall man running down the alley. By the look of terror on his face and the weapon in his left hand, she deduces he's the suspect they are looking for.

"FREEZE!" she yells out, her gun slightly elevated. As much as her instinct wants to point the gun at him, the rules state a gun is only to be aimed when the other weapon is raised first.

Coming to an abrupt stop when he sees her blocking his escape route, Gail follows his eyes and knows he's sizing up the situation, deciding whether or not he can get away cleanly. Cold blue eyes take one look at her partner behind her, Sam's own weapon is raised slightly higher than her own, no doubt thinking about how this man shot at his wife.

The suspect, who she knows is named Jonas Miller from Parade earlier that morning, was on the run from a triple murder charge. Airtight forensic evidence along with several witnesses made this an open and shut case. This man was looking at more than one life sentence in prison.

Jonas takes another look at Sam, probably thinking he was going to give him the most trouble. That's when Gail takes the opportunity to make a small step forward. A shard of glass, most likely from some moron's beer bottle, crunches beneath her boot and Jonas' eyes immediately swing back to her, the cold chill in his expression mixing with anger.

"Easy there Peck." She hears Sam's agitated voice behind her. Her flippant response is held back when she sees Jonas make a move. Her stomach jumps into her throat when she sees him aim his weapon directly at her heart. Four years on the job and she has still not gotten used to this. She doubts she ever will.

Suddenly it's like everything goes into high relief.

Cold winter air bites her skin.

The sharp tang of blood bursts in her mouth from biting the inside of her cheek.

There is even a god-awful smell coming from somewhere in the alleyway she hadn't noticed before - probably piss from many a drunk idiot.

The hammering heart in her chest is the only thing reminding her that time hasn't actually stopped.

She can feel Sam step closer to her, probably hoping to shield her body with his in case Jonas' discharged his weapon. On occasion, Sam and the rest of the seniors officers would revert back to their training mindset and try to protect their old rookies.

Jonas takes one look at the weapon in her hands and by the look in his eyes, she can tell he has already made a decision.

"I'm not going to jail." Jonas warns, finally breaking his silence. The cock of the gun feels like a physical ache in her soul. If she gets out of this alive, praying to every higher power that she will, she knows that sound will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Gail hears Sam's voice yelling out before the sound of a gunshot rips through the silence.

* * *

**Oh, was that a cliffhanger? How rude of me!**

**_(Don't worry, there's gonna be a part two my wonderful readers.)_**


	16. Halloween

**16. Halloween**

* * *

"Homicide! Where the hell is your costume?!"

Head-to-toe in black leather and wearing a red wig, pushing people as she passes by, a petite bombshell walks over to him.

Well '_walk_' would be a loose term for Gail's uneven gait. She looks like she's one misplaced step away from eating the floor.

"I'm a detective." He says, pulling out his badge and hoping she's too drunk to argue with him. Then he remembers this is Gail he's dealing with. Her eyes roll dramatically, more so than usual thanks to the alcohol saturating her veins.

"The whole point of Halloween is to be someone you're not."

"I told you, I don't do Halloween."

Suddenly, someone accidentally knocks into her from behind and she loses her balance. She's saved from a disastrous fall (seriously how is she walking in those heels) when Luke's hands shoot out to steady her. Despite the cold leather covering her arms, he knows how warm and pliant the skin is beneath it. He unconsciously pulls her closer, hands sliding down to her waist.

"You are such a party pooper." She pouts, wrapping her arms around his neck. Try as he might, he can't keep from pulling her flush against him, pelvis against pelvis. Normally he has rules about keeping their PDA to a minimum, already having a terrible reputation with his co-workers, but he makes an exception since he hasn't seen her for two whole days thanks to her hectic schedule.

"That's a shame." Gail saddles closer, breath heavy with notes of lime and tequila. "I guess then seeing what I might or might not be wearing underneath this costume is something you won't be doing either." Her crystal blue eyes brighten with mischief and makes him wonder how drunk she actually is.


	17. Zombies

**17. Zombies **_(__Trying something a little new here.)_

* * *

Rotting teeth, sharp and lethal, viciously snap in his face. The corded tendons of his neck pop out as he angles his head away, simultaneously trying to bite back the rolling nausea in his stomach, but inch by agonizing inch, the teeth grow closer.

Suddenly he hears a voice, an actual human voice; not the animalistic snarling coming from the person on top of him.

"Close your mouth!" Luke follows the orders without thought, shutting his eyes for good measure.

A deafening bang fills the room and warm viscous fluid splatters across his face. The once struggling body goes limp and he pushes it off with a grunt. Searching for his savior, he sees Gail standing a few feet away from him, gun still smoking and breath racing.

"Did he bite you?" Her gun is still aimed at his face. He frantically searches his skin, aware of her eyes following every movement of his hands until he comes up bite-free. Only then does she lower her gun. In his gut, Luke knew she would not hesitate to shoot him if he had been bitten.

Speaking of...

Stepping closer to the corpse, he cautiously tilts the head with the toe of his boot, not wanting to get closer than he has to. Considering half the face has been blown off, it makes it hard to determine the identity of his would-be killer. Looking further down the body, he notices the multiple bullet holes and is confused. With those kinds of injuries, how can someone not only be alive, but be so incredibly strong as to overpower him?

"You have to hit them in the head." Gail says, down on one knee and rummaging through a bag he hadn't noticed before. Pulling out a blue towel, she tosses it to him. "For your face."

"What's going on?" He asks, wiping the blood off as best he can. She seems to know a lot more about this strange world he's suddenly walked into.

"I don't know. But I just watched a perp in lock-up chew through someone's neck without hesitation. I emptied a whole clip into him but he kept moving. So I aimed for the head and voilà." She waves to the body on the floor with a flourish. "Next thing I know, the person who's neck has just been used as a chew-toy is standing and coming for me."

"That's why you asked if I was bitten."

"I knew you weren't just another dumb blonde." Gail smirks, which oddly enough comforts him.

Rolling his eyes, he begins searching for his gun. It had been knocked out of his hands when he was attacked.

"You're alone." He states rather than asks. "Where's everyone else?"

"I don't know. So far, you're the only person I've met who hasn't tried biting my face off."

His next question dies in his throat at the sound of glass breaking in the distance.

"What was that?" Luke asks while moving towards his desk. He pulls out two extra bullet cartridges and stuffs them in his pocket, then checks to make sure the safety on his gun is off.

"I don't know." Gail is suddenly in a flurry of activity. Strapping the bag across her shoulders, she checks the ammo in her gun. "But I'm not staying to find out. You coming or what?"

More crashing glass is followed with snarling. He doesn't need to be told twice.

"Let's go."


	18. Blood

**18. Blood (**_written for waltzmatildah over at omg-rookieblue on lj_**)**

* * *

"Ow!" Gail winces as he passes the alcohol soaked gauze across her cheek. He knows she wouldn't be here if he hadn't basically ordered her into his office.

"Stop being such a baby. I barely touched you." Luke presses the gauze harder against her face. A blood stain blossoms beneath his fingers, the color seeming wrong anywhere other than on her lips.

"Seriously ow! What is your problem!?" She sharply pulls away. Sighing, he replaces the cap on the bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Did you really have to start a fight with the suspect?" He frowns down at her, disappointment written all over his face.

"She started it." Gail mutters gingerly flexing her hand, knuckles sore and sure to be bruised. "And why does it bother you so much? It's not like I'm your responsibility."

"Because you're better than this."

Gail bites her lip. "Maybe I'm not."

"Gail, I know Nick coming back has been tough for you but-" At the hostile look on her face, his jaw clamps shut, knowing he crossed one of their imaginary boundaries.

The past couple weeks, Luke and Gail could be found drinking and throwing darts in the Penny every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon; a tenuous friendship born over beer and stale peanuts. Their only rule, an unspoken rule, was that they never spoke about the whos and whys that turned them to day drinking.

But ever since McNally and Collins returned from undercover duty, Gail seemed to have returned to her previous abrasive self, the shrew rookie who was rude to anything with a pulse, and began completely abandoning their weekly hang outs. Normally he wouldn't give two shits about the station's weekly soap opera dramas, but he can't help but feel a little protective over her.

Gail looks at him carefully, lips pursing in annoyance. "Listen Homicide. Just because we spent a couple lonely weeks drinking weak beer and talking about hockey does not make us friends." She stands up and rips off the bandage he placed on her face. "And I don't need you to take care of me."

He barely has time to react before she's slamming his office door open, the door colliding with some framed pictures hanging on the wall.


	19. Apocalypse

**19. Apocalypse**

* * *

"Today is the end of the world." Gail says into the wood…countertop? Floor? She opens up one eyeball and takes a quick survey of her surroundings. Yep, she's on the floor. She hears the bottle of tequila being dragged away from her, but she's in too much pain to care.

"Stop being so dramatic Peck. It's not the end of the world." If she could manage the energy to lift her head, she would be giving him the worst glare of his life right now. But her brain feels so heavy, she'd rather just keep it where it is.

"Remind me never to invite you out for drinks again. You're the worst shoulder to cry on." She sits up and rubs her eyes, her back against his couch, praying the room would stop spinning for just a minute.

"I don't see any tears." Luke pretends to check her eyes.

"They're on the inside Homicide." She says, the words muffled by the back of her hand as she wipes her drool. Normally she'd be worried about looking attractive, but this is Luke. She manages to sit on the couch and press her face into the soft cushions.

"Sounds painful."

"Oh please, don't act like you weren't me with the ooey gooey and I wasn't you with the thinly veiled sarcasm."

"I'm sure that made more sense in your head." This made Gail sit up, ignoring the pounding in her head.

"I seem to remember you and me getting shit-faced last year after Andy dumped your cheating ass. Oh _and_ I remember you trying to take me back to your place afterwards."

"You promised you would never mention that night ever again."

"Well that was before you decided to be an insensitive ass. Now go make me breakfast to make it up to me. Pancakes, eggs with a side of bacon. Oh and cereal if you have it."

"How about some freshly squeezed orange juice made from oranges in my backyard?"

"That would be great. You do that." Gail waves him away, pressing her face back into the cushions.


	20. Gentleman

**20. Gentleman**

* * *

"No, no, no! Please don't do this to me." Gail pleads with the car, the spluttering stalling car, the oil light flashing obnoxiously...like it has been for weeks now. (Gail's not much of a car person and tends to ignore everything other than the gas tank.)

"I told you to stop at that gas station." Luke doesn't even look up from his newspaper, the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"Didn't we agree that you'd stop being such a Boy Scout?" Gail snaps at him, hitting the steering wheel with the palm of her hand. The horn goes off, startling her, and Luke tries hard not laugh.

"We didn't agree on that." He says carefully, knowing she tends to breathe fire when frustrated.

"Yes we did."

"Moaning nonsense while you're giving me a handjob doesn't count Gail." He rolls his eyes at the teasing look she's giving him.

"Of course it does. It was a gentleman's agreement. I just substituted Luke Jr. for your hand" she smirks wickedly.


	21. Yoga

**21. Yoga**

* * *

"Taking up yoga?"

_The haircut is new._

That's her first thought when she sees him standing in the doorway. It bothers her how much she wants to run her fingers through it.

"Yeah. My doctor said I should try and do something that calms my nerves. Cause apparently getting kidnapped by a serial killer can make you kind of edgy."

When in doubt, always snark. After everything that's happened, that last thing she needs is to see _his_ face. Especially after the way they left things last winter...or rather the way she left things.

"You haven't returned my calls." For a moment her heart skips before she realizes he's not talking about _those_ phone calls. The phone calls she forced herself to ignore once Nick came back into her life.

No, he's referring to the recent ones. The ones asking her to relive the worst moment of her life.

"I can't use that phone." She points in the direction of her bed. "Sick people cough and breathe into that mouthpiece."

"Sick people also put their feet on that floor." She hates how easily he calls her out on her bullshit.

"But the really sick people can't walk so..."

"Gail, we need to go through your statement again. I have some more questions."

"So, are you back?" She hates how timid her voice sounds. There's just something about the way he looks at her, something that makes it impossible to keep up her bitchy persona. Faking it with him is never an option. "Or are you just here to deal with this whole thing?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well if it's okay with you, I'd rather wait to do this when I'm out of here." While a small part of her wants to keep him here, to be reassured he wasn't going to leave yet, there's a bigger part of her that just doesn't want to deal with what happened. Not when it cost Jerry his life.

"It's better if we do this now." He gives her that look, the look of understanding and endless patience that makes all her defenses crumble before him, makes her want to spill her guts to him. Sometimes she doesn't know what she hates most about Luke; the way he can be so professional in the wake of last winter or the way she can't really deny him anything when he aims those deep blue eyes at her.


	22. Gunshot (Part 2)

**22. Gunshot (Part 2)**

* * *

Detective Luke Callaghan looks around the station in mild confusion.

Everyone seems to be buzzing around at warp speed. A loud yell from Best's office catches his attention and he can see the sergeant swearing into a phone. By the look on his face, Luke can tell something bad has happened. He knows that it would futile trying to get information from any of the officers swarming about, so spotting the only person sitting down amidst the hurricane, he makes his way over to the front desk. From the look on her face, it's obvious she knows what's going on.

"Hey Traci. What's going on?" The officer, who is very pregnant with her second child, looks up at him. An odd expression comes over her face and he frowns, not liking it one bit.

"Traci?" He asks again, thinking maybe she might not have heard him. Traci takes a deep breath and subconsciously rubs her belly.

"You remember that guy you were talking about in Parade this morning?"

Luke nods, he _is_ the lead detective working on the case. A simple _open-and-shut_ case if you asked him. Annie Jacobs and her boyfriend Brian Kerry were found murdered two weeks ago in a parking lot. The murder weapon was found covered with fingerprints that belonged to the victim's ex-boyfriend, Jonas Miller.

"What about him?" Luke asks.

"Well Oliver and Andy spotted him around Courtney Street and went after him. Apparently he got his hands on another weapon and shot at them."

Dread beings to fill his body. "Are they okay?" Despite their relationship having been over for four years, the brown haired detective still holds a special place in his heart.

Traci briefly nods, "They're fine. They managed to take cover but by the time they regrouped, Miller had gotten away." She bit her lower lip and by the agitated way she began to rub her belly, he knows there's more to the story.

"Another squad car managed to intercept him. Two shots were fired. An officer was taken to County Memorial." The look on her face is guarded and he can tell she is holding something back. Cold, icy fingers grip his heart.

"Who is it?" he asks, cursing the words on his lips. Some sense of self-preservation tells him he really doesn't want to know who. By the look on Traci's face, he can now see the barely concealed fear and worry.

The name barely leaves her lips before he's running out of the station.

* * *

Upon entering the hospital, Luke immediately tracks Sam down.

"Where is she?" Luke demands. It isn't until he feels Sam's own rough hands on his own that he realizes he had grabbed the other man's coat in desperation.

Sam calmly removes Luke's hands from his coat. "She's still in surgery. They were able to get the bullet in her thigh but," he hesitates for a moment, "but the bullet in her chest is giving them trouble."

There was a bullet in her chest. Luke quickly calculates the survival statistics for a GSW to the chest, remnant information from his own gunshot wounds, and knows they aren't good.

Sam then clears his throat and gives him some more bad news. "It hit a lung."

Luke feels the air rush out of him, his reality getting more nightmarish with every passing minute.

"Where is she?" He moves in the direction of the OR. Sam grabs Luke's arms to hold him back.

"Hold it Callaghan. The doctors said she'll be in surgery for at least a couple more hours."

Luke shakes Sam's grip off him, but stays in place. He runs a trembling hand through his already disheveled hair, Gail's teasing voice immediately fills his mind. She liked to taunt him, saying his hair was like a mood ring, and that you could always tell what he was feeling by the state of his hair. If the terror gripping his chest like a vice was any indication, he could barely fathom what his hair looked like.

"What the hell happened!?" Luke yells in the crowded hospital corridor. He can feel the intrusive stares of the people around him, the violent thoughts aimed towards everyone around him momentarily horrify him. Even with his job, he liked to think he was a calm guy...even if it's a guy he can barely remember at the moment.

Sam approaches him slowly, almost like he was approaching a wild animal. "Why don't you sit down?"

Luke allows Sam to steer him towards a row of empty seats against the wall. A slight pressure on his shoulders prompts him to sit down. He sinks down into the cushions like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. Sam sits next to him and sighs.

"We ran interference on a suspect. He had already fired at Oliver and...Andy." Luke can hear the slight tremor in Sam's voice when saying her name.

"I already heard this from Nash. What I want to know is _what happened_." A brief look of irritation passes over Sam's face. There was a tiny bit of blame coloring Luke's words, like it was Sam's fault Gail got shot.

Sam takes a deep breath, biting back a harsh reply. He didn't even want to think about how he'd be feeling if their roles were reversed.

"We got intel that he was running in our direction so we moved to intercept him. Gail saw him first. Before I knew it, she was ten feet away from him with a gun aimed at her at point blank range." Luke can hear the anger in his voice. He then felt a bit guilty for implying Sam was at fault. He knows that the officer had a soft spot for the abrasive blonde.

A menacing shadow passes over Sam's face. "I shot him."

_There would be no trial for Jonas Miller._

Luke wants to feel satisfaction knowing the shooter was dead but he can't. Not when his entire world is still fighting for her life somewhere in this hospital.

"SAM!" Luke hears a shrill voice coming from down the hall; a voice sounding almost unhinged. The alarm in the voice causes both men to stand quickly.

A flash of blue rushes by and into the waiting arms of the man beside him. Andy wraps herself around Sam in a way that pulls at something in his chest.

It's been years since he's come to terms with their relationship, he had even gone to their wedding without any feelings of resentment, it's just that right now he can't stand to look at them. Luke is jealous of the watery smiles of relief on both their faces. He is jealous that they _could_ wrap their arms around each other and be thankful the other was safe. He is jealous that their entire world is still intact while his is tilting off its axis.

Why is it they always manage to escape from harm? For two cops who seem to go looking for trouble, they always make it out relatively unscathed. It isn't fair. Why should they get all the luck when the universe just seems to dump on him time and time again.

"I'm okay," he hears Sam's voice trying to calm his wife's worries.

"If anything had happened to you..." the end of her sentence is cut off by Sam's pointed look in his direction. Andy's eyes land on him and he immediately feels sick. The pity in her eyes is more than he can handle.

"Luke" she says, a hand reaching out to him. He steps back before it can make contact.

"I'm gonna go get some air" he coughs out, turning away from the married couple without waiting for a response.

* * *

_Okay so I lied. This is ending up bigger than I expected so there should be at least one (or maybe two) other parts to this._

_If you have any Luke/Gail prompts, send them my way!_


	23. Slugger

**23. Slugger**

* * *

"Hey slugger. Saw the shiner on Collins." Luke says, siding up to Gail at the bar. Ever since Nick and Andy came back, he's been hanging around the station more. Frank asked him to stay on for a couple more weeks, and he couldn't think of a reason not to help out.

"Did you now?" She responds, sounding bored.

"Now I know from the report that the big ugly bruise on his right eyes is the result of being hit with a shotgun, so I'm guessing the other one is your handy work?" He asks, knowing how furious she was when Collins left without a word. Luke knows because she spent a month camped out in his office, demanding answers whenever he passed by the station, "accidentally" shoving the items on his desk onto the floor when he denied her.

"Who cares?" Gail shrugs, ordering shots from the bartender.

"If you ask me," he begins when she immediately shuts him down.

"Well I didn't ask you so…" she pushes a shot glass towards him "shut up and drink, Homicide."


	24. Gunshot (Part 3)

**22. Gunshot Part 3  
**

_(Author's note at the end)_**  
**

* * *

Walking down a couple of random corridors, Luke ends up in a deserted area of the hospital, chaotic thoughts racing through his mind. He should have known that right when his life is just starting to make sense, just starting to feel balanced, it would all come crashing down around him in large, karma infused pieces.

Ever since the fallout with Andy and Jo, he retreated into himself. He believed himself incapable of having a, not so much _normal_ relationship, but at least a functioning one. That's when Gail Peck came crashing into his life, and somehow made it better. She made him want to live again, instead of merely surviving, one snarky quip at a time.

A sharp pain runs up his right arm. Looking down, he finds he has punched the wall without realizing it, but the pain coming from his wrist is a welcome change from the pain in his chest.

_If she doesn't make it..._

His mind shies away from the thought. It hurts too much to even imagine.

_If she dies..._

This time anger seeps into his marrow. How the hell had he gotten to this place, a place where his damn sanity depended on someone else?

"Luke?" Andy is suddenly in front of him, worry for him written all over her face. Luke has no idea how she managed to find him but here she is.

"Yeah?" His gruff voice is unrecognizable to him.

"She's out of surgery." She tells him in one relieved breath. Hope blooms in his chest, the happy look on Andy's face further influencing his mood.

"How is she?" His heart feels like it's pounding in his throat.

"They managed to get the bullet out and repair the damage to her right lung."

Luke feels like a weight has been lifted off his chest. She's going to be okay.

"But-" Who would have thought such a small word would bring him crashing back to Earth.

"But what?" He can hear the madness creeping into his voice.

Watery eyes meet his blank ones.

"She isn't waking up."

* * *

**Okay so I know this isn't the ending you imagined, but I have good news! It seems like this fic just doesn't want to die, so I'm going to be making it into it's own separate story. Now since I have a ton of other stories on my plate, I will try and get this one done as fast as I can while my muse is still gracing me with her presence.  
**


	25. Listen

**25. Listen**

* * *

Something about him, probably the puppy dog eyes or cowlick that became more pronounced during late nights on the job, made her want to tell him stuff, _personal _stuff. Shit she tries so hard to bury beneath a heavy layer of red lips and overall bitchiness.

Maybe it was because he rarely showed any interest in her life.

He didn't push or prod or gossip like everyone else in the station seemed to.

Luke just didn't care about her…and it broke a piece of her when she realized she cared about him.

That wasn't even the worst part. No, the worst part was that he never told her to shut up. He never stopped her when she would open up, spewing all kinds of embarrassing crap all over him. If he did, maybe she'd be able to bite her tongue and stop baring her soul to him. She could easily throw her walls up and pull her mask back on, becoming the Gail Peck everyone knew.

But he didn't. He would just sit there, looking at her all calm and quiet like, not saying a word. He would just listen. No comments. No advice.

And after a lifetime of not being able to trust anyone, she realized that it was exactly what she needed.

For someone to listen.


End file.
